03/28/13: D-FW sports chat with columnist Tim Cowlishaw

Tim Cowlishaw joins us at 11 a.m. Thursday, but ask your questions now and he will have them when he arrives. Thanks for your readership!

by SportsDayDFW3/27/2013 11:59:52 PM

Chatting to you live courtside at Cowboys Stadium. Michigan players out here shortly. Much to discuss in the sports world. Let's go.

by Tim Cowlishaw3/28/2013 3:54:58 PM

It seems as if Sp[ence and Romo has JJ twisting in the wind. What do their signings look like from your vantage point?

by oletimefan3/28/2013 3:55:11 PM

I am not sure why Romo deal hasn't been finished yet. These things aren't that hard to gauge when you look at other QB deals. However, I would say that the urgency is minimized by the fact that I don't expect the Cowboys to engage in a spending spree even when the deal is done. It's funny to look at their current cap figure, about $50,000 under the cap when most cash-strapped teams at least are a few million under.

by Tim Cowlishaw3/28/2013 3:56:52 PM

2nd part first. Rick Carlisle should be under no heat. Have you watched what he has done this year with a team that's incredibly old but not nearly as good as the one that won the title? They can't defend point guards or centers (Brook Lopez looks like a young Bill Walton against Dallas). As for the free agent targets, I don't see a superstar signing to play with a team that features Dirk going into his 16th season and not much else. So forget Chris Paul. Tough times are ahead.

by Tim Cowlishaw3/28/2013 3:58:43 PM

been watching some Spurs lately. that center Splitter looked good. nobody talking about him Do they have a serious run in them?

by esteban3/28/2013 4:00:28 PM

The Spurs? Sure, they can make a run. People seem to forget their streak wasn't quite as long as the Heat's but starting with end of regular season and into playoffs, they were at 20 games before they started losing to OKC in the Conference Finals. Team has a lot of weapons. Duncan has been better this year than last. Parker is back now. They will be tough for anyone in the West to knock out.

by Tim Cowlishaw3/28/2013 4:01:39 PM

Well, in all honesty, they can't know much other than that he is here and under contract. You have to see him play in actual NFL regular season games before you know what you have. That's going to be awhile.

by Tim Cowlishaw3/28/2013 4:02:50 PM

Taking risks on contracts nobody wants pretty much means going for players who appear to be overpaid but might have some upside. If that's the case on a one-year or maybe two-year deal with a player, that's OK. Team doesn't need to be going for more long-term overpaid players. They have done that in the past always with the promise of what might happen when they get rid of that expiring contract. Never works.

by Tim Cowlishaw3/28/2013 4:06:22 PM

At this point, drafting a running back makes more sense although I can't imagine that happening in the first two rounds, given the Cowboys' needs. But the team's not foolish enough to say, "Hey, we've got DeMarco Murray for 16 games.' Need depth at very least.

by Tim Cowlishaw3/28/2013 4:07:48 PM

Yes. I hate this rule. Running backs will hate it more than I do. I understand officials say they will only call this when it's in the open field, but how do you get every crew to define "open field" the same way? And the better question, as you suggest, is: What doe a running back do? Run straight up, the polar opposite of the way they've always been taught? How do you know the defensive back isn't going to take this moment to launch himself at you? Every running back runs the risk of the Michigan back getting destroyed by South Carolina's Clowney on that play they show every time Clowney is mentioned. I understand a desire to make the game safer. This isn't making it any safer for running back who already have a very short life span in the NFL.

by Tim Cowlishaw3/28/2013 4:10:59 PM

Just had a nice courtside chat with Rolando Blackman. He's still fired up about the Mavs' chances of sneaking into the playoffs. I think their percentage chances have improved dramatically in the last two weeks. Never thought I would say that with this team. Probably still about 30 percent, but the Lakers seem perfectly capable of giving away an important game or two that allows Dallas' late-season surge to be meaningful.

by Tim Cowlishaw3/28/2013 4:13:00 PM

Hey Tim, How concerned are you about the Rangers bullpen to start the season? I know we have reinforcements coming in may/june, but who sets up Nathan in the interim?

by David G3/28/2013 4:16:49 PM

I'm told this Rangers question posted but some of the previous ones didn't. Trying to chat from an ipad while the laptop has gone beyond the wall for four tires and a wedge adjustment. Apologize if some of the questions aren't showing up. I would say the bullpen concerns are real but not as significant as they were. Glad to see they kept Ross and Kirkman in the bullpen. Manager Ron Washington needs left-handers he can trust out there. At the end of last season, going with Holland out of the pen against Oakland and Baltimore put everyone in a bad situation. If you assume Soria is back in June and Feliz is back sometime after that, those are good options to have on the way. I'm still not sure who pitches the 8th inning of close games. That has to be worrisome.

by Tim Cowlishaw3/28/2013 4:20:13 PM

Question is about Cowboys drafting Tennessee's Da'Rick Rogers. I would say you always have to consider taking risks in the NFL and given that Dez Bryant (mostly) seems to have cleaned up his act, it's not out of the question the Cowboys take another risk. I'm not sure you do it at wide receiver. Rogers was kicked off the Tennessee team for repeatedly failing drug tests. He would have to really convince the Cowboys those mistakes are behind him to make him draft worthy.

by Tim Cowlishaw3/28/2013 4:24:13 PM

Tyler Wilson.

by Tim Cowlishaw3/28/2013 4:25:56 PM

If the mavs make it to the playoffs anyway we can trade up to get Oladipo?

by Rnig673/28/2013 4:30:07 PM

Indiana's Oladipo looks like he would be a great fit for a lot of teams. Very good at both ends of the floor. I don't like Indiana's defense in general and think the Hoosiers' lack of it may get them beat, but it won't likely be Oladipo's fault. It's too soon to know if he's top five, top 10 and whether or not the Mavericks would have to move up to try to get him.

by Tim Cowlishaw3/28/2013 4:31:24 PM

ESpn has the cowboys looking at the syracuse QB got any other good picks at QBs for the future?

by Rnig673/28/2013 4:33:46 PM

Wonder who the boys love more Eric Reid or Vaccaro ,I know Reid was good w/Mo & the Badger but I think he would be better w/ Carr & MO!

by Display Name:draftmane3/28/2013 4:33:51 PM

Can't go wrong drafting LSU defensive backs. Well, maybe you want to steer clear of the Badger unless you are looking for a pure return guy...

by Tim Cowlishaw3/28/2013 4:34:33 PM

We apologize for the technical difficulties in today's chat, but the site appears to be more challenging than usual. We thank you for your patience as we try to see if someone's backpack is sitting on our internet connection.

by SportsDayDFW3/28/2013 4:35:50 PM

will this horrorible season and missing the playoffs inspire mark and donnie to make trades for players that might include taking a risk on contracts that nobody wants?

by todd3/28/2013 4:36:16 PM

Well, dang. We have to close the chat as nothing on Tim's end seems to be working. Which is not a shot at him. It's a technical thing. Thanks for joining us. Next week, we'll make sure Tim's laptop is firing on all cylinders.